Projectile for bomb-throwers



- E. SCHNEIDER.

PRJECTILE FOR BOMB THROWERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2B. 1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

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annula- E. SCHNEIDER.

PROJECTILE FOR 30MB THROWERS. 7" APPLlcMloN FILED 3.28. |919.

1 347 125 Patented my 20,1920.

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E. SCHNEIDER. PROJECTILE FOR BOMB THROWERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. i919.A

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY 0F FRANCE.

PROJECTILE FOR BOMBeTI-IROWERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application led February 28, 1919. Serial No. 279,877.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Re ublic, and a resident of 42 Rue dAnjou, Faris, France, have invented a new and useful Improved. Projectile for Bomb-Throwers, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved projectile for bombthrowers, which for firing is adapted to be lslipped on to the tube or barrel of the bomb-thrower by means of an axial passage or chamber which is closed in front and open at the rear.

The improved projectile which comprises a fusiform body provided with guide wings near its rear end, is characterized by the feature that it contains in the aforesaid axial chamber a movable hollow block which is open in front and is held near the closed front end of said chamber by bearing against a similarly shaped muzzle of the thrower tube or barrel. On being projected, the said block by its inertia and by the action of the gases of the charge which project the projectile, takes up a position at the rear of the projectile in such a manner as to complete the fusiform shape of the projectile by its ogival portion that projects from the open rear end of the aforesaid axial chamber. This block is provided with a vent, and it acts in its rearward position in the projectile to confine in the axial chamber the gases from the discharge explosion, which gradually escape through the vent to aid in the propulsion of the projectile after the latter leaves the bomb-thrower.

Various constructional forms of this invention are illustrated by way of example in the` accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a first constructional example of the improved projectile shown in position upon the thrower tube. In this view the carriage supporting the thrower tube is not shown.

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the rear portion of the improved projectile during flight.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a second constructional form of this invention; the improved projectile being shown slipped upon the barrel of a bomb thrower.

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section drawn to a larger scale of the front portion of the improved projectile in the starting position.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section of the rear portion of the improved projectile before it is slipped upon the thrower barrel.

Fig. 6 is a partial longitudinal section of the rear portion of the improved projectile, in Hight.

Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal 'section of the front portion of a modification of the constructional form of the preceding example, the projectile being shown in its starting position.

Fig. 8 is a partial longitudinal section of the rear portion of the projectile, the movable block being shown in the position it occupies before the projectile is slipped upon the barrel, and during iight.

Referring particularly to Figs. l and 2, A is the casing of the fu'siform projectile, the rear part A1 of which is provided with guide wings A2. In the body A there is inserted a tube to form an axial chamber B which is closed in front by the end B1, and may be formed in one piece with the container B2 adapted to receive a nose fuse C.

For firing, the projectile is slipped upon a barrel ortube D.

The improved projectile contains in its axial chamber B a movable hollow block E whose front end e is open, while its rear end el which is of ogival shape serves to receive a firing tube F. When the projectile is slipped upon the thrower tube D, the movable block E will bear against a mouth or muzzle (Z pf the tube D which is of ogival shape corresponding to that of the rear end of the movable block.

In this first example the charge G for throwing the projectile is confined inside the latter between the front end B1 of the axial chamber B and the rear end e1 of the movable hollow block that contains the {iring tube. In this example, the tube D does not receive any charge, and has merely an axial bore in which a long striker H of known construction is adapted to move.

The iiring is effected by any suitable means, for instance by means if a hammer provided with a firing cord, which causes the striker H to strike the firing tube F and thus ignite the throwing charge G.

By the action exerted by the-gases of the Said charge upon the end Bl of the chamber B, the projectile is thrown Yforward while the movable block E tends to remain behind partly by its inertia and partly by the action of the gases exerted upon its inner end. It is to be understood that the joint between the outer surface ot' the movable block E and the inner surface of the chamber B must be as gas-tight as possible. For this purpose the movable block E is formed with a oint ring El having a flexible iiange or lip E2 which will be pressed by the pressure ot the gases against the walls otl the chamber B. Betere the projectile is thrown, the lip E2 abats against a shoulder l; on the sides ot the chamber B.

In order to insure that the charge (iv shall remain watertight during transport, a packing I of wax or other suitable fusible subst-ance` may be arranged around the movi ble block E behind the joint ring El. On being fired, the movable block E will remain bearing against the muzzle ot' the thrower tube until it is drawn along by the body A of the projectile which takes place immediately a leaden packing J on an interior shoulder of the chamber B and forming a stop comes against the joint ring El. At this instant the packing I has become melted by the action of the heat generated by the combustion ot the gases of the charge G.

The socket ot' the firing tube F will remain in the muzzle (l of the tube D, or will be ejected by the pressure of the gases oi the charge, thus leaving a vent or restricted passage for the escape ot these gases (Fig. 2). The gases which were imprisoned in the chamber B on starting, will escape gradually, and this escape will produce a reacting pressure upon the end B1 which will 'favor the projection of the proj eetile.

In the example shown in Figs. 3 to (S the rear end ot the movable hollow block E is made tapering and is pierced with longitudinal slots e2 that leave between them a series of flexible strips c* between which an axial tubular extension (Z1 of the detachable muzzle Z engages when the projectile is slipped upon the barrel D. Before being placed in posit-ion, the movable block E has the position shown in Fig. 5. A washer K ot wood or other suitable material which keeps the strips e3 apart from one another, is pushed away by the engagement ot' the tubular extension (Z1 in the movable block E. In this example the throwing charge is placed in the barrel D. This barrel may comprise at its rear a breech mechanism ot any suitable known type provided with a suit-able firing device.

On being fired, the charge gases pass through the passage in the tubular extension (Z1 into the hollow movable block E, and act upon the end B1 so as to drive the body A of' the projectile forward, Owing to its inertia and the pressure of the gases, the movable block E remains up against the muzzle l of the barrel until it is drawn along by the packing J striking the joint ring Fil. The strips e first slide with their outer ends engaged and held apart by the tubular cxtension tube (Z1, whereupon they close as soon as they have moved out of engagement therewith. The charge gases are thus iinprisoned in part in the axial chamber B whence they escape gradually through the slits e2; this escape producing a reaction against the end B1 ot the said chamber B.

In the example shown in Figs. 7 and fa'. the movable hollow block E is divided by a partition L into two compartments M, N, the communication between which is interrupted normally by a valve O. rl`he trent end of the movable block E instead ot being completely open is closed by a perforated partition P formed with a seat p Yfor the valve O when the latter is open. The partition L is pierced with small holes L1.

On firing, the valve 0 is forced oll' its seat in the partiton L, and assumes the position shown in Fig. 7. The charge gases pass into the compartment N and passing through the holes in the end l ot' the movable block, they act upon the end B1 ot the axial chamber B. Owing to its inertia` as well as to the action of the gases upon the front side oi' t-he partition L, the movable block E is iirst kept pressed against the detachable muzzle (l ot the barrel until it is carried along by the packing 'l striking the joint ring El. .As soon as the movable block E has quitted the axial tubular extension (l1 of the mouth ot the barrel, the charge gases imprisoned in the chamber B escape gradually through the holes l? and the open rear end of the movable block.

That I claim is 1. A projectile for bomb-throwers comprising a usiform casing to contain the bursting charge, a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated `from the bursting charge and adapted to receive the barrel of the bomb-thrower, said chamber operating to confine the gases :trom the discharge explosion to be emitted from the rear of the tube after the recession of the barrel to aid in the propulsion ot the projectile, and a vented block slidable in the tube to the rear thereof after the recession of the barrel to prolong the emission of the propelling gases from the rear of the axial chamber.

2. A projectile for bomb-throwers comprising a tusitorm casing to contain the bursting charge, a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated trom the bursting charge and adapted to receive the barrel of the bomb-thrower, said chamber operating to confine the gases from the discharge explosion to be emitted from the rear of the tube after the recession of the barrel to aid in the propulsion of the projectile, and a hollow block slidable in said tube open at its forward end to the front of the axial chamber and having a vented closure at its rear end, said block operating to move to the rear of the tube after the recession of the barrel therefrom to prolong the emission of the propelling gases from the rear of the axial chamber.

3. A projectile for bomb-throwers comprising a fusiform casing to contain the bursting charge, a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated from the bursting` charge and adapted to receive the barrel of the bomb-thrower, said chamber operating to confine the gases from the discharge explosion to be emitted from the rear of the tube after the recession of the barrel to aid in the propulsion of the projectile7 a hollow block slidable in said tube open at its forward end to the front of the axial chamber and having a vented closure at its rear end, said block operating to move to the rear of the tube after the re* cession of the barrel therefrom to prolong the emission of the propelling gases from the rear of the axial chamber, a joint-ring on the periphery of the hollow block having a iexible iange to bear against the adjacent wall of the tube to form a gas-tight closure therebetween, and a stop at the rear end of the tube to engage the ring-joint to limit the rearward movement of the block in the tube.

4. A bomb-thro-wer having a barrel to receive the propelling charge and a muzzle on the barrel having a tubular extension, in combination with a projectile comprising a fusiform casing to contain the bursting charge, a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated from the bursting charge and adapted to receive the thrower-barrel preliminary to a discharge, and a hollow block to be inserted in the axial chamber in advance of the barrel, said block being open at its front into the axial chamber and having in its rear a vent for the insertion of the tubular extension of the muzzle so that the discharge gases from the barrel will pass into the axial chamber in front of the block, said block at the discharge sliding to the rear of the axial chamber at the recession of the barrel therefrom to partially confine in said chamber the gases from the discharge explosion, the conlined gases gradually escaping through the vent in the rear of the block to aid in the propulsion of the projectile after the latter leaves the bomb-thrower.

5. A projectile for bomb-throwers comprising a fusiform casing to contain the bursting charge and a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated from the bursting charge and adapted to receive the barrel ofthe bombthrower, said chamber operating to confine the gases from the discharge explosion to be emitted from the rear end of the tube after the recession of the thrower-barrel, and means operating after the recession of the thrower-barrel to partially close the rear end of the tube to provide a restricted vent to prolong the emission of the escaping gases from the axial chamber to aid in the propulsion of the projectile after the latter leaves the bomb-thrower.

6. A projectile for bomb-throwers comprising a fusiform casing to contain the bursting charge and a tube inserted in the casing to form therein an axial chamber separated from the bursting charge and adapted to receive the barrel of the bombthrower, said chamber operating to confine the gases from the discharge explosion to be emitted from the rear end of the tube after the recession of the thrower-barrel, and an operative vented closure controlled in its action by the thrower-barrel to operate at the recession of the throWer-barrel from the tube to close partially the rear end of said tube to prolong the emission of the gases escaping from the axial chamber to aid in the propulsion of the projectile after the latter leaves the bomb-thrower.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGNE SCHNEIDER. 

